Message Boards

I can't speak for the rest of the country, but here in the deep South it would be something like fried chicken, baked ham or meat loaf, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green beans, turnip greens, lima beans, fried okra, corn, peas, fried green tomatoes, rutabegas, cornbread, and sweet iced tea, the House Wine of the South.

And those green beans wouldn't be the little skinny round al dente crunchy kind so many people cook these days. They would be fresh wide flat beans that you string and snap then cover with water in a big pot on the stove, add some bacon grease, a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper and some fat back or a ham hock and cook all day long. LOL

Some other great comfort foods are chicken and dumplings, and chicken and cornbread dressing.

Now, we'd have to top off that meal with a nice slice of pecan pie or sweet potato pie.  Yummo! 

And then there's our BBQ meal with a slab of pork spare ribs, shredded pork, smoked sausage, corn on the cob, baked beans, potato salad, deviled eggs, and some more of that wonderful sweet iced tea.

And then there's breakfast...eggs cooked to order, bacon, sausage, fried ham with red-eye gravy, cathead biscuits, sawmill gravy, and most important, a big pot of grits. Plain grits or cheese grits. And no true Southerner would ever admit to putting sugar on their grits. We call that Yankee Grits. LOL

And we don't put sugar in the cornbread, either. LOL We call those muffins.

Hi smchica81. It must be exciting living in another country ans learning a new culture. Well, American meals vary from region to region. In the pacific northwest: Seafood, usually salmon or trout or halibut. Roasted potatos and peas or carrots in a slightly sweeet gingery glaze. In the southwest there is an abundance of mexican ispired dishes that range from tacos and nachos with beans and rice, to chicken en mole or arroz con pollo, and of course the ever popular Fajitas. In Texas you will find several differant types of dishes ranging from some of the bestbbq you will ever eat, to steak and potatos, or of cours, the extra spicey "TEX-MEX". Central Americans also bbq, with corn on the cob and cole slaw andpotato salad. I have a couple of great casserole dishes that I received from a friend in missoui. When I was a girlI lived in Ohio, close to the Ohio river (2 blocks), and we would go to my aunts house (up in the hollow- pronounced holler) ans we would haqve things like fried frogs legs or fresh fried chicken (she raised chicken, so I DO mean fresh) with mashed potatos, pan fried gravy, fresh corn, chow-chow, pickled zuccinis. Durring turtle hunting season we had turtle (VERY good) or squirl. But MY mother and grandmother were from Oklahoma, so I have to agree with AlabamaCooker. Go with the southern meal!!! I promise you, your guest will love it. And since you are in England, It will probably be the best tasting home cooked food they will have ever eaten in their lives. I've heard some terrible things about English food. Is it true????

The first thing that comes to my mind is a traditional Thanksgiving dinner - roast turkey with all the sides.  For us that's bread stuffing (or dressing), gravy, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, green peas, cranberry sauce, rolls and butter.  Pie for dessert - pumpkin, squash or apple.  Or, if you want to go totally casual try hotdogs in rolls, coleslaw, potato salad and potato chips, lemonade and chocolate chip cookies or brownies for dessert.  Have fun!

Awesome ideas!!! It's hard thinking of menus on the spot, so this will really help. I am very interested in trying the Southern foods, but I have never made them before! Pass on any favorite recipes and I will give them a try!

I think I am going to have a Thanksgiving party next year and invite all our news friends over for dinner...show them how we celebrate Thanksgiving!

 A  traditional American dinner to me would be either fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy  corn on the cob, a nice green  lettuce and tomato salad, homemade biscuits and gravy, baked beans and homemade apple pie or cherry pie with either vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for dessert. 

 How do you make fried chicken?!?! Can I sneak KFC? ;-)

Fried chicken is soooo simple.

In a flat dish ( a pie pan) sift together flour salt and pepper, onion pwder, and rubbed sage (powder sage). In a medium bowel whip eggs and salt and pepper, and a bit of milk or cream. wash and pat dry chicken pieces. Roll each piece individually in flour, then in egg mixture, and then in flour again. Place the battered piecec of chicken in a pan of hot oil ( not screaming hot, you will burn the chicken). I have used a deep fat fryer (such as a Fry Daddy) and it came out pretty well, but I much prefer to pan fry my chicken. Waqtch chicken closely, when the first side is brown, turn and brown other side. When both sides of chicken are browned turn the heat down under pan to about med-low and put a lid on it. Or you can take it out of the pan and place in oven on a cookie sheet at 350 for about 30 mins or so. Just make sure you brown your chicken evenly and do not over cook. I always use th same ingredients in the flour mixture to make my pan fried gravey. Hope this helps. Everyone askes me to make my fried chicken dinner for their birthday dinner. Have fun with all your entertaining.

How deep should the oil be in the pan? And what kind of oil do you recommend?  

Thanks Cooking Jewel! 

If its a cast iron skillet, maybe up to aninch or an inch and a half. If its a non-stick skillet I would use about half an inch or less. The reason for this high amount of oil is it makes a very crunchy skin. If you decide to finish your chix in the oven, please drain the chix well first, or you can cause a fire in your oven. (Guilty!!!, I was 20 years old!!!) Have a great dinner party, lotsa love, Julie, aka, cookingjewel

thank you this recipe is just what i was looking for

Hi kilksaw,  wow you have been given some great ideas.  I have one more that I do not think they have in England.  A big pot of chili and some cornbread.  That would be great to serve on a cold winter day after a rugby match. Here are the recipes:

2 lbs. Ground Beef (depending on how big your group is)

2 packettes of pre-made chili-mix

2 Large cans of dark red kidney beans

1 can medium size stewed tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

1 large lemon

1 large yellow onion

In large saucepan, brown ground beef.  While browning dice onion and add to grnd. bf. Zest of the lemon into grnd. bf.  cook all till grnd. bf. cooked all the way through.  No pink.  Transfer into large cooking pot or crock pot, and add 1 chili mix and stir in thoroughly.  Add both cans of kidney beans and stir. Add salt, pepper, and stewed tomatoes. Add last chili mix and squeeze juice from lemon into mix.  Make sure you do not let any seeds falls into the chili.  If using crock pot, slow cook for at least 3 to 4 hours and serve.  For regular cooking pot, cook for 2 hours on med-low, stirring often and serve.

Cornbread

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup flour

1 tblspn. baking powder

one half tspn. salt

2-4 tblspn. sugar (optional)

1 egg

1 cup milk

one fourth cup melted fat or oil

Mix cornmeal,flour,baking powder,salt and sugar.  Set aside.  Beat egg and add milk.  Add melted fat or oil add all to cornmeal mixture and stir just enough to mix.  Fill lightly greased pan half full.  Bake in pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned or stick toothpick in middle of pan, if it comes out clean, it is done.  cool and serve with melting butter or margarine.

Hope you try these and if you do I hope you and your guests enjoy it.  If you want to add some heat to the chili, you could buy some peppers and add to the mix while it is simmering, but be careful. You do not want your guests to burn their mouths.  Happy holidays!

chicagosinger

I agree with all of the posts about Fried Chicken.  That would be good.